Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of failing to meet the standards required at Manchester United, claiming the forward “let the team down” during their short time working together.
Ronaldo and Ten Hag spent only a few months together at Old Trafford at the start of the 2022-23 season, but their breakdown in relations overshadowed the opening half of United’s campaign.
Ronaldo reportedly wanted to leave the club in the summer of 2022. Tensions with the newly appointed manager increased during the season, and his contract was terminated in November.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner later told Piers Morgan he felt “betrayed” by Ten Hag and did not respect the Dutchman. He had also been left out of Manchester United’s starting XI on several occasions.
Speaking to The Athletic, Ten Hag said Ronaldo’s approach to training affected the wider squad and claimed he encouraged team-mates to reduce their effort during sessions.
“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” Ten Hag said. “I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for, before I came to United.
“Obviously, he’s one of the best in football history. I respected him a lot. But at that time, as a manager, I had to make a rational decision and keep the players I admire.”
Ten Hag said he repeatedly explained to Ronaldo that his positioning had to improve if he wanted to score, rather than focusing solely on whether he could press.
“Many times I would say, ‘Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you, to bring you in the right positions, but if you can’t bring yourself in the box, you can’t score.’
“He was not capable of doing this. It’s the wrong idea to put this to me, that I expected him to do the pressing. He was exhausted. He couldn’t. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession.
“The reason was because he didn’t prepare himself. Every top team has to embrace the top players, but the top players must work for the team.”
Ten Hag also alleged that Ronaldo told other players: “Save your legs at training”.
“I understand it when you are fit; you have sessions, you can save the legs. But first, you have to train yourself to get to the right fitness levels,” he added.
Ronaldo has recently been involved in another public dispute with a head coach. He was left on the bench by Jorge Jesus during Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway last month before leaving the Selecao camp without notice.
Ronaldo then accused his former Al-Nassr manager of betraying his trust. His international future remains uncertain, although senior figures at the Portuguese Football Federation have indicated that the 41-year-old could return.
Following an investigation into the incident, Ronaldo received a 30-day suspension from the Portugal setup.
